Chapter Six: Race Cars Go “Vroom”

Chapter Six: Race Cars Go "Vroom"

Severus choked back a laugh, then let it out. Gareth had just tipped himself over trying to swing a sledgehammer, and he hadn't even hit the target. Grinning, Gareth got back up and gamely tried again. This time he was successful, and the counterweight rose up on its track several feet before falling back down with a thud.

"Three tries, right?" Gareth asked the attendant, who nodded. "Okay. Just getting warmed up with those first two."

Severus smirked and watched as Gareth hefted the hammer, took in a breath, then raised the hammer and swung. Severus's eyes followed the counterweight as it shot up and rang the bell, and his smirk transformed into a grin, which vanished as quickly as it had come. Gareth had recommended sticking with the arcade area with the traditional games, which had been fine with him, as he complained that he hadn't had any choice about being there in the first place. So far, they had tossed rings and shot pellet guns, something that Severus had turned out to be surprisingly good at. He had won an electric torch with a radio in the handle and a crank to charge its battery. It was supposedly waterproof and buoyant, as well. Useless at Hogwarts, but it had a nice heft to it.

Gareth hadn't been quite as proficient at the shooting, to Severus's surprise, but he had managed to win a small stuffed purple elephant with a bendable trunk. When Severus had teased him about it, Gareth did something vaguely obscene with the elephant before stuffing it into his sporran, only its purple trunk emerging. Severus shook his head. Puerile foolishness. But amusing.

Melina had instructed Gareth to avoid any of the roller coasters or similar thrill rides, but had approved of the rest of Gareth's plan, which he wasn't sharing with Severus.

"Vroom-vroom-vroom!" Gareth pretended to fly his most recent prize toward Severus.

"Don't you know anything, McGonagall? Helicopters do not go 'vroom-vroom.' Race cars go 'vroom.'"

"So what do helicopters do?" Gareth asked, steering them toward a darts game.

"I don't know."

"Then how do you know they don't go 'vroom-vroom'?"

"Thwpp–thwpp–Thwpp–thwpp–Thwpp," Severus replied, feeling foolish. "The sound of the rotors," he added.

Severus looked down at his gold wristlet and was reminded of Malfoy's anklet. "Where'd you get these? Transfigure them?" he asked, wondering if they were stealing from the Muggles who ran the amusement park.

"Nope, they're genuine," Gareth replied. "Of course, yours belongs to Brennan, but I don't think Alroy would mind."

"Alroy gave them to you?"

"The entire family gets annual passes for all the Golden Cup parks and attractions. The day passes are green for the kids and red for adults," Gareth said, gesturing toward the other visitors, "and they're embossed with the name of the specific park and the date. Ours just have a cup on them and an identity number."

"Odd sort of gift," Severus remarked.

"Mmm, I suppose, but when we were younger, we enjoyed them a lot...still do. Uncle Albus always used to come to one of the parks at least once a year, and Robert, Thea, and I would join him. Minerva came some years, too. It's not really her cup of tea, though. Too much noise, I think."

Severus could sympathise.

"Besides," Gareth continued, "it doesn't really cost them anything. It's part of the MacAirt family business, the Golden Cup Parks and Resorts."

"They own the Golden Cup parks?" Severus asked, astounded.

"Yep. One of the things that Quin was able to keep up with after his, um, injury. It used to be just one small amusement park and one resort, and after his injury, they devoted more resources to it, and it's grown a lot since then. They just referred to it as the GC Enterprises, though, to avoid reminding him of his golden cup."

Severus stopped, and was immediately run into by an entire Japanese family. He didn't even notice. "Wait, wait, wait. Explain."

Gareth stopped and turned. The Japanese family smiled at him as they went around the two men, the youngest one pointing at Gareth's kilt and giggling.

"Explain what?"

"MacAirt. He taught at...he taught with me last year. Are you saying he owns all this? And . . . and more?"

"Well, not all of it himself, of course. As I said, it's a family enterprise. And there may be other shareholders. I don't know. I don't really understand Muggle businesses."

Severus stared at him.

"Come on. I want to throw some darts before we eat, and I'm starving!"

Severus caught up with Gareth, his mind turning over what he'd been told. No wonder the Dark Lord...Riddle...had hated Quin MacAirt. He was surprised he'd left the rest of the family alone. He couldn't begin to imagine what had enticed Alroy MacAirt to teach at Hogwarts the previous year. Must have been motivated by hatred for Riddle and what he'd done to his father.

"And 'Golden Cup'? Does that refer to what I think it does?" Severus asked, trying to remember the story of Cormac Mac Airt. He'd never been much of a student of Celtic legends.

"I'm not a Legilimens, Snape, so I don't know what you're thinking. But if you're referring to the cup of truth and lies, yes."

"That's just a myth."

Gareth laughed. "Darts, Snape! Then food!"

Gareth turned out to be better at darts than at the other games they had played, and won several prizes, giving them all away to the children standing around, except for a little crystal bud vase. Severus declined to try the darts, though he had enjoyed seeing Gareth win. He really was very good at it.

"Keeping this one for Mum," he explained, tucking the vase away with his elephant. "Now, for food. I'm famished."

He led the way toward the food stalls, and Severus became aware of just how hungry he was, and it all smelled delicious.

"What are you up for, Snape? Indian, barbecue, burgers, fish and chips, chipolatas, tempura? Or we could go to the cafeteria over there. They have a lot of the same stuff, but a bit more pub grub. Further on, there's a real restaurant, specialises in seafood."

"I don't know." Severus looked around him. There was too much choice. Inexplicably, his heart began to race and he felt dizzy. He blinked.

"Come over here. Sit down," Gareth said, leading him over to a small, round moulded plastic picnic table. "I'll get us both a couple plates of food, pile them up with everything, and you can take your pick."

Severus sat and looked up at Gareth. "Do you need money?" He reached into his pocket and pulled out his green and silver striped tie. "Wrong pocket." He felt in his trouser pocket for his money clip and loose change. He'd brought some Muggle money with him, knowing he'd be walking through Muggle Leeds, and wanting to be prepared.

"No. It's on me. You can get the next snack." He turned to go, then stopped. "What would you like to drink?"

"Doesn't matter."

Several minutes later, Gareth returned, carefully balancing a tray piled with food and carrying a drinks holder with four large cups in it.

"Fanta, Coke, mineral water, and something called a grape slushy. Take your pick and help yourself to whatever you want to eat." He dropped a pile of serviettes on the table, then sat as he reached for the barbecued ribs.

The two men ate in silence for a while, Severus enjoying the tempura still hot from the fryer, then moving on to a bowl of curry and a samosa.

"The pizza didn't look very good to me, so I didn't get any of that," Gareth said, reaching for a sausage. "There's a couple burritos under the plate of nachos, though."

"We can't eat all this," Severus said.

"Maybe not, but we can have fun trying!" Gareth took a swallow of his grape slushy to wash down his sausage. He started in on the nachos. "So, I gather from the Ferron's Elixir and the ban on Apparition and so forth that you've got some specific problems to deal with."

Severus looked around them. No one was paying any attention, and with the ambient noise, he doubted anyone would hear very much they said, anyway.

"Melina said that the toxins are coming back," he said softly. "Not the mundane ones. The others. Multiplying on their own. They are . . . I don't know, eating away at my core, affecting my reserves. My energy fluctuates a lot when I do . . . you know."

Gareth's brow furrowed. "But I thought that those were cleared out weeks ago."

"So did I. So did Melina, clearly. If she weren't as thorough as she is, we probably wouldn't have noticed it until the damaging effects on my ma– on my reserves were severe. I am lucky, I suppose," he said, not sounding as though he felt very lucky.

"It must be disturbing."

Severus put down his half-eaten burrito. Disturbing. That was an understatement.

"Sorry. That was a stupid thing to say. So the Elixir is to help with the effects, and I presume that Uncle Murdoch is compounding something to deal with the cause?"

Severus nodded. "It's never-ending, you know, McGonagall?" He shook his head. "But I should have expected it. Expected it more than anything else in my life at the moment, anyway." He looked around him and let out a slow breath.

"It is all an adjustment for you, I'm sure. But a lot of it can be good, even if it takes getting used to. It will be good."

Severus gave a sceptical snort.

Gareth smiled and poked him in the side. "You're here with me now, after all. A feast spread out before us? That's good, right? And we haven't even hit the ice cream stand yet!"

Ice cream . . . as though that would solve anything.

Gareth ate the rest of the nachos, then slurped up the last of his slushy. Severus sipped his water.

"Finished?" Gareth asked. At Severus's nod, Gareth almost forgot himself and reached for his wand to banish the remains of their meal, but then he picked up everything and stacked it on the tray. He carried it all over to one of the trash bins and dumped it. He looked back at Severus, who was just pushing to his feet.

"I think we'll wait a bit for our ice cream. Maybe have that just before we go home," Gareth said as Severus walked up to him. "Let's walk a little, and then we'll go for the highlight of the evening. All right with you?"

"Since I don't know what you have planned, I can't say," Severus replied, sounding surly.

Gareth ignored him and they strolled back toward the arcades. "Let's do the funhouse now. I love the mirrors!"

Severus shook his head, but followed him to the funhouse and its moving, undulating walkways, trick doors, and distorted mirrors.

"There's a waterpark, too," Gareth said as he reached out and grabbed Severus to prevent himself from falling over on the shifting gangplank they were crossing. "Next time, we'll come early in the day and do that. It has the longest waterslide in Europe. That's open year-round, too, even after a lot of the park closes for the winter."

Severus stepped lightly across one moving plank and onto the next. It was rather satisfying, he supposed, particularly seeing the way that Gareth had to keep grabbing the rail. Next, he crossed a pathway made up of wooden rollers that spun as you stepped on them. Gareth didn't even try that one, taking the solid walkway beside it.

"I do not like getting wet," Severus said, now walking across a series of oddly spaced, pointed wedges.

"What are you, a cat or something?" Gareth asked, watching him nimbly cross the walkway.

Severus shrugged. He'd never been terribly athletic, but he did have a good sense of balance.

After a few more minor obstacles and a number of funny mirrors, the two exited the funhouse.

"I'm ready for ice cream!" Gareth declared.

The two got their ice cream, Gareth insisting that Severus get a large cone, though he had claimed not to want any.

"Now for the highlight of the evening," Gareth said grandly, leading them through the arcades.

"I thought that was it, the funhouse," Severus said, trying to lick some chocolate ice cream that was running down his chin.

"Nope." Gareth bit into his cone.

"What then?"

"You'll see!"

Severus felt like rolling his eyes, but that would have been more childish than 'you'll see.'

They walked through the crowds for a bit longer, then Gareth stopped and gestured. "Voila!"

Severus looked at Gareth. "Have you lost your mind, McGonagall?" Throwing darts was one thing, even the funhouse was marginally acceptable, but this was absurd. He would not make a fool of himself.

"Let's get in the queue...we should be able to get on for the next round," Gareth said, ignoring the disbelief on his companion's face.

"You queue up. I'll watch," Severus replied.

"Not without you, mate," Gareth said. "Remember, Melina said to cooperate. I'll be really disappointed if after everything else, you funk out on me now."

"I'm not 'funking out,' McGonagall."

"Then come join the queue with me," Gareth repeated.

Scowling slightly, Severus dragged himself along behind Gareth. He listened to Gareth's inane prattle about the time he had gone to one of the theme parks with Aunt Minerva and Uncle Albus, eaten too much, and then thrown up all over Minerva when they took a corkscrew roller coaster together. It was the last time Minerva ever went on any of the more exciting rides, Gareth said, trying to sound sad, but with a big grin on his face.

"She never liked them much, anyway," Gareth said.

"I suppose I can thank the stars that you aren't dragging me onto a roller coaster," Severus grumbled as they inched forward.

"Melina said nothing too strenuous, no roller coasters or other thrill rides, but she thought this was a grand idea," Gareth replied cheerfully as he held up his wrist to show the attendant as they approached the track.

Severus just grunted. "I am not getting in a car with red and gold stripes, McGonagall."

"All right, I'll take this one," Gareth said, climbing into his car. "The next is solid purple. I presume that meets with your approval?"

Severus didn't respond, just folding his long legs into the little vehicle he was presented with. Dodgems. Whoever heard of anything so ridiculous? He took hold of his steering wheel and felt a thud. A laughing, red-headed boy bumped him again as he went around him. Severus snarled slightly, his eyes gleaming, and he sideswiped the boy before chasing after Gareth. McGonagall wanted to play, he'd play, then!

By the time their turn on the cars had ended, Severus felt as though his bones had all been jarred to bits, and he knew that his spine was definitely too old for that sort of game any longer, but he had, unexpectedly, enjoyed himself...particularly ramming the Scottish wizard, who'd never managed to outrace or outmanoeuvre him.

As they walked away from the track, Gareth clapped him on the shoulder. "I knew I'd have you smiling with that, Snape!"

"I am not smiling," Severus said, quickly trying to erase the smile from his face.

"And now for some refreshment before we head home," Gareth said.

"Haven't you eaten enough already?"

"Liquid refreshment," Gareth explained.

"I don't want to Apparate with you if you've been drinking, McGonagall."

"No plans to get plastered," Gareth replied. "Just a pint...or a half."

"A half," Severus said.

"Right."

They found a German-style beer garden, and Gareth ordered a pint, but made it a shandy. "Don't usually drink those, but on a warm night, they taste good. What are you having?"

"Water."

"Have a pint. You aren't starting your regimen until tomorrow," Gareth said as their waitress stood patiently.

"I don't think so," Severus said.

"Bring two shandies, then, extra lemon," Gareth said, smiling up at the girl. "And some chips, please."

As the girl left, Severus remarked, "You are a bottomless pit."

Gareth shrugged. "Thought you might enjoy some, too, and they'll soak up the alcohol."

"That's a myth."

"It slows its absorption if you drink on a full stomach," Gareth replied.

"Your stomach is already full," Severus grumbled.

When the girl returned with their order, Severus reached into his pocket and pulled out his Muggle money, insisting on paying. "No, it's my turn," he said. "You got our supper and the ice cream."

Gareth thanked him and smiled up at the waitress as she put their drinks on the table.

Severus sipped his shandy. Not terrible.

Gareth drank off half his pint, then sprinkled some vinegar over the chips and squeezed some ketchup onto the edge of the paper plate. He dipped the end of a chip into the ketchup. "Want some?"

Severus shook his head.

"Tired?"

Severus reflected on the question. He had felt tired before they'd left Leeds...even before they'd left the clinic, in fact...but now he felt tired in a different way. Relaxed and tired.

Gareth took his silence for assent, and said, "Me, too. But not a bad day...for me. I'm sure your experience of it was different from mine."

"I'd say so." There was no comparing their days, Severus was sure of that.

"But this hasn't been bad," Gareth said, stretching his long legs in front of him. "A nice end to the day, wouldn't you agree?"

Severus tilted his head noncommittally. "It was different."

"Better than another trip to the Valetudinarium Egidium, I'd think."

"The what?"

"St. G's," Gareth said. "It started life as the Valetudinarium Egidium. Then it became the St. Giles Asylum and Infirmary, or some such thing, in about fifteen-oh-five. Its current name is from around the turn of this century, I think."

"Is the apothecary related to it, then?"

"Founded by the same family at about the same time. They took their family name from the hospital, I think. There's always been at least one Egidius relative working at the hospital, but it hasn't been in the family for a couple hundred years. The apothecary, on the other hand, has always been passed on in the family, usually run by Parnovons and Egidiuses, but now Uncle Murdoch's got it. Always keeps the same name, though. It's one reason Uncle Murdoch was so upset with Calum."

"Calum . . ." The name was familiar.

"Melina's son. Thought he might have an aptitude for potions, and then the boy tells them he wants to stay in Muggle school with his friends and grow up to be like his father." Gareth laughed. "I was just a kid, but I remember Dad trying to convince Uncle Murdoch that it wasn't a tragedy. Anyway, I'm sure that by the time that Uncle Murdoch's ready to retire, there will be a Parnovon or McGonagall or some other relative ready to take the reins. Or Calum might still do, after all. He's already collaborating with his grandfather on a number of projects. He'd just have to hire a Potions master or two."

"You could have," Severus said, remembering what the younger wizard had said about enjoying potions, but not wanting to have to ask permission of the Hogwarts Potions teacher to take the NEWTs independently. He had been that Potions teacher.

"Maybe. I don't know. It may have seemed more attractive to me at the time because it wasn't an option. I enjoy what I'm doing now, and I was able to make a contribution to Aunt Minerva's project that I wouldn't have been able to make otherwise."

Severus nodded. Despite all odds and all the forces working against them, they had won and Potter had killed the Dark Lord, reclaiming what was his. It was not all completely fair, however. If it were, then surely he and Malfoy would be dead, and witches like Aurora Sinistra and Molly Weasley would be alive. Poppy had told him quite truthfully that more Death Eaters had died than Hogwarts defenders, but that did not ease his own sense that his life, his living, was undeserved. If Hermione and Albus...and even Aberforth and Healer Egidius...hadn't spent their time and energy saving him, perhaps more on their side would have lived. Perhaps another Slytherin teacher would be enjoying that summer's evening. It seemed an imponderable, and yet his mind continued to return to it, and to the evil he had done and the evil he had witnessed. It seemed to permeate even the air of this Muggle amusement park, that evil which he carried with him. He felt a cold chill come over him.

"Let me get you home, Snape," he heard Gareth say softly. "It's been a long day for you."

"They want to put up a plaque where it happened, you know," Severus said suddenly. "Minerva's leaving it up to me, since it's in the dungeons near Slytherin House. And I don't know what the right thing is. What do I have to say about such things?"

"Plaque for what?" Gareth asked.

"Where . . . where Sinistra was killed." He blinked. It had grown dark and the Ferris wheel lights glowed green and white.

"I see."

"If there were a plaque for everything . . . there'd be one everywhere. Hogwarts would be nothing but a giant memorial to the dead. But she shouldn't be forgotten, either. And yet what would remembering do for Slytherin House now, in the immediate future? I wish Minerva hadn't even told me about it, just approved or disapproved it herself," he ended miserably.

"What do they want it to say? And who are 'they'?"

"Zabini. Not Zabini himself, but he's behind it and he'll probably donate money to the school or to some charity in her name if we put it up. It's supposed to be in the name of 'Snape's Slytherins,' and I don't like that, either."

Gareth was quiet for a while, watching the giant Ferris wheel turn, then he said, "There's already a memorial plaque for her and the carillon was dedicated to her. People will already be reminded every time they enter and exit the grounds. I don't think it would be unreasonable to say that that was a sufficient memorial, though I can see how saying that could sound . . . unappreciative or worse. Why do they want another, do you know?"

Severus shook his head. "Perhaps to extol the virtues of Zabini's group and point out the failings of Goyle and Nott. They want to put a quotation on it, something from Milton about . . . about their makers' image forsaking them when they vilified themselves. I've never read Milton, and I very much doubt Zabini has, but he was probably looking for some way of pointing out Nott and Goyle's vices whilst touting their own heroism. I find it overmuch."

"It will also memorialise you, though...Snape's Slytherins, not Zabini's. Perhaps that is part of what they want."

"If I had died, it might have been appropriate to memorialise me. No. I don't want it. I don't want to see it every day. I don't know as I'd ever get used to it, but I'm sure that eventually, most people would. They wouldn't even see it. It would become an empty symbol after a while, which may be the worst kind of forgetting."

"Think about an alternative, then," Gareth suggested. "See if you can come up with one. And if you don't want Snape's Slytherins mentioned, or anyone but Professor Sinistra, I think that would be just fine."

"Perhaps."

"You should talk to Uncle Albus about it. He's been around longer than anyone. He might have some advice for you, or at least be able to offer another perspective, even if you don't like his advice." Gareth took a last swallow of his shandy. "I find I often see things differently after talking with him even when I don't end up exactly agreeing with him."

Severus nodded. It was not a bad idea, in theory, to ask Albus what he thought about it. He'd seen the former Headmaster briefly the evening before. He had visited Minerva, admired the changes she'd made to the Headmistress's suite, looked at a few wizarding snapshots from her holiday with Albus, and chatted about a few of the new staff members. Albus had returned just before ten, and the three had sat together for a quarter of an hour and talked. Severus had felt uncomfortable, but had managed to avoid thinking about the reasons for his discomfort and hadn't darted out the door as soon as the other wizard arrived. That was something.

Perhaps he could ask for Albus's advice. If he visited him in his office, it would be clearly Hogwarts business. He had to work with him for this year, at least. And he believed that he did want a relationship with him. Punishing Albus by withdrawing his company would also punish himself.

He was still angry and hurt because of all he had gone through when he'd believed that Albus had died and that it was his fault, at least in part. But he also remembered his sense that he had never truly appreciated the people whom he'd cared about until it was too late, until he had driven them away or lost them. With Albus, he might have a second chance. He hoped that he'd be able to actually take that chance, but didn't know if he could. A chance was a risk, after all, but beyond that, he didn't know if he could get past his hurt and anger. He had never been able to do that in his past; it was one of the things that had made his life not worth living, him not worth saving.

"Let's go home," Gareth said, standing. "Think about it all tomorrow, hmm?"

Severus stood.

"Saturday nights during the summer, they have fireworks. We'll have to come some Saturday, spend the entire day. There's a lot more to do than what you saw today. They have shows, too."

"I begin teaching on Tuesday," Severus reminded him. "I will be very busy. And the summer is almost over."

The two men walked toward the arcades to find an isolated but noisy spot to Disapparate from.

"Next summer, then. After exams. We could get a whole group together. It could be fun."

Severus couldn't imagine that, but he nodded in agreement anyway.

They stepped around a corner, Gareth took Severus's arm and looked at him and smiled. "Straight to the gates, then?"

Severus held onto Gareth's arm and closed his eyes. He hated Side-Along Apparition. It didn't bother him much physically, as it did some people. He didn't lose his balance or become nauseous. He didn't like it because he hated the sense of not being in control. It reminded him of the blind transport to the Dark Lord's side.

They were at the gates in less than a moment, and Severus opened his eyes.

"I had a good time this evening," Gareth said. "It was good to see you smiling a little."

"Hmph." He had not smiled. Not much, anyway. "Thank you for accompanying me to Leeds. It was not the evening I had anticipated, but it made the events of the afternoon feel more distant."

"Good. That was the hope. See you soon...maybe Sunday? I know you'll be getting ready for classes and be taking the potions, but if you feel up to it and have the time, Hermione's moving in on Sunday. We thought we'd go out to lunch at the Three Broomsticks. I'm sure she'd be happy to have you come along. I think she'd really appreciate it, in fact."

"I don't know. We'll have to see."

"I'll owl you, then. See you, Snape!"

Severus turned toward the gates even as Gareth Disapparated with a crack. He doubted very much that he would go to lunch with them on Sunday. He couldn't very well ask whether Professor Gamp would be coming, too, and make it seem that his attendance was conditional on her not being there, after all. Besides, he'd be on both potions by Sunday. He didn't remember what side-effects the Ferron's Elixir had, but he probably wouldn't want to go out. He also couldn't Apparate or perform any magic, either. Not conditions under which he wanted to go anywhere.

No magic, he thought just as he reached for the handle of the gate. He swore lightly under his breath. The nighttime and holiday password to open the gates required that he hold the handle and pass some of his magic through it as he uttered the password. It was hardly a spell, but the thought of his magic draining was alarming enough to him, and he knew that Healer O'Donald was including this kind of magic in the prohibition, as well.

He gritted his teeth and pulled the bell handle instead, which activated the charm on the carillon so that wherever the groundskeeper or his assistant were, they would hear it.

The bells themselves tolled sweetly, and Severus remembered the witch whom they memorialised. A few minutes later, Hagrid came jogging down the drive.

"Evenin', Perfesser!" he greeted cheerily as he approached the gate. "Headmistress tol' me t' be expectin' you." He pulled open the gate for him, shaking his head. "Nasty things, these venomous bites, nasty things. But sure you'll be back t' yer old self in no time flat! But y' need anythin' meantime, Perfesser, just ask!"

Severus nodded. "Thank you, Hagrid." Minerva must have informed the staff. It would save him some embarrassment. They would not expect him to perform any magic and he would not have to explain to anyone why he was not. It would certainly make things easier once the students arrived. It was still uncomfortable to know that his colleagues were aware of his current condition. He wondered what precisely Minerva had told them. He wished now that he hadn't given Melina blanket permission to discuss his health with Minerva.

"G' night, then!" Hagrid said. "I'm off t' see if I can catch the stoat what's been eatin' me Flobberworm larvae. Don't begrudge him a bit of a meal, but not all me larvae!"

With those words, Hagrid set back off across the grounds toward his little cabin. Severus smiled slightly despite himself. No, Hagrid wouldn't begrudge any "critter" a meal. He looked up at the lights shining from the castle and began to walk toward them. He was tired. It was good to be home.

Next

Chapter Seven: Waxing

Saturday, 29 August 1998

Severus has his first treatment with the Ferron's Elixir and tries to deal with his fears. Did he escape death only to become a Squib?

Characters: Severus Snape, Poppy Pomfrey, Rubeus Hagrid